Footsteps Through Time

A History of Travel and Tourism to the Victoria Falls - www.zambezibookcompany.com

Tuesday, 31 May 2011

Victoria Falls Zambia dedicated for Peace through Tourism

What has tourism got to do with peace? One might say, Peace, that's the government's job. Louis D'Amore believes otherwise.He is the founding president of the International Institute of Peace through Tourism.

The Canadian government commissioned him to develop a code of ethics and guidelines for sustainable tourism that has become an international model. D'Amore says, "World leaders are now beginning to realize that if we want peace, we must prepare for peace.

And if we are to prepare for peace, we must have, and share, a common, positive vision of peace."

Louis D'Amore of the "Coalition of Partners for World Peace through Tourism" with partners who are each committed to a "Millennium Project.""The tourism industry has the potential to become the world's first "Peace Industry"; an industry that recognizes, promotes and supports the belief that every traveler is potentially an Ambassador for Peace."

The president of Zambia H.E. Rupiah Bwezani Banda declared the week of May 15 as a national week of Peace Through Tourism in honor of Louis D'Amore 5th Africa Conference in Lusaka.

20 delegates from the 5th Africa Conference for the International Insitute for Peace through tourism (IIPT) went to Victoria Falls, Zambia on May 18,2011 to re-dedicate the IIPT Peace Park. IIPT delegates and their founder and president Louis D'Amore were joined by Zambia's Minister of Tourism, Environment and natural resources Hon. Catherine Namuga,Zoltan Somogyi , Executive Director for Member Relation Services, UNWTO, and local dignatories from both Zambiaand Zimbabwe.

And speaking at the re-dedication ceremony in Livingstone, IIPT Founder and President, Louis D’Amore said the falls is an important part of global tourism.And World Tourism Organisation Executive Director, Soldan Somogoyi reiterated Mr. D’Amore’s sentiments.

The Victoria Falls was last rededicated in 2005 during the 3rd IIPT conference.And speaking at the same occasion, Tourism Minister, Catherine Namugala said the re-dedication of the Victoria Falls shows government’s commitment to the sector.

H.E. Namugala has further noted that tourism is one of the major sectors under the economic diversification agenda hence needs to be supported. She also stated the need to push for the agenda of peace through tourism.

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Welcome to Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs, a blog about - wait for it - Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs! Covering both Zambia and Zimbabwe, this blog focuses on issues relating to the Victoria Falls, and more generally on the Zambezi (including Botswana and Namibia) and wider conservation issues relating to all the above.

Mostly I re-post information from other sources, so this blog acts as an information gateway (with links back to source sites) and point of reference, following various topics and themes. Occasionally you'll find personal pieces or comment, but generally speaking I use the blog to record and file information which I find interesting, and which I hope others may find interesting also.